Clarks Creek Staff News

Jan. 19-22, 2016

Clarks Creek Staff News

Jan. 19-22, 2016

Clarks Creek students have PRIDE!

Ensuring that ALL students carry themselves with pride and confidence beyond our doors as honorable, skillful learners and thinkers, ready to enrich our world.

Dear Staff,

With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, I wanted to share this MLK quote (above). It seems as it it could apply to everything! There is nothing we do where staying stagnant is the best choice (minus a very a few examples I'm sure some can think of - such as finding oneself in a pool of quicksand!). Moving forward, by whatever means possible, is the best choice. We have some students who can't fly just yet, but your hard work keeps them moving forward - some by walking, some by crawling. Thanks for all you do that eventually helps our students learn to fly!

Enjoy the weekend and the extra day on Monday. I hope you are able to take advantage of time with family, some of the programs about town related to MLK Day, or completing a "pay it forward" simple kindness.

It's going to be a great week!

Marisa

Announcements and Reminders

Our PRIDE convo will be rescheduled for Friday, January 29th. That day will be an alternate schedule day. Please include this information in your parent newsletters. Parents and other relatives may attend, but the parent will need to submit names of those coming ahead of time. You will have forms to send home on Tuesday that parents can return with this information. These names submitted will be checked against PowerSchool to be certain that they are in thereand all will be ID'ed at the door.

In your mailbox, you should have found a bright green piece of paper that can be used to nominate your colleagues for recognition by the Optimist Club this year. This is a great opportunity to recognize our staff of outstanding employees! Please submit nominations to Marisa's mailbox no later than Feb. 11th. (The form says the 14th, but that will be over the weekend.)

Valentine's Day is approaching, and the Lions' Club is once again planning to distribute valentines to our neighbors in retirement homes. If your class would be willing to participate in this great way to make someone else's day, please have the cards (or decorations, etc.) your students make to the office by 9:00 a.m. on Feb. 11th and the Lions will pick them up for delivery.

The next STAR window has been expanded and will begin on January 25th. This will allow our ISTEP grades to move their testing up a bit if they want to move them further from the actual ISTEP testing. Misty will be coordinating this schedule with you.

It is likely we will be going back outside for recess next week after the parent forum on Tuesday. Of course that will be weather-dependent, but I will let you know for sure when we will be going out.

We will have a lockdown drill on Thursday morning. I will announce it over the intercom very clearly that it is a drill, but please let your students know first thing in the morning that at some point we will be holding that drill so no one is fearful that it is a real event. Early next week, remind your students of the procedures for this drill again, even though I know you did that last week when we came back. We will have a fire drill on Friday or the beginning of the next week. It looks to be fairly cold, so I will let you know for sure ahead of time exactly when it will be so students can wear their coats this time. ALSO, if you are ever in the Mind Maze at a time when there is a lockdown, leave that room through the back door and go directly to the right into the first locker room. That door can be locked behind you.

To-Do List

Primary Teachers - Check out the Moby Max information that was sent out on Friday.

Turn in Optimist nominations by Feb. 11th.

Notify parents about the rescheduled PRIDE Convo date.

The last chance to contribute to the Sheltering Wings silent auction basket is on Tuesday if you'd like to participate.

See a Reason for a Lockdown? Call It!

At our staff meeting, we discussed procedures again about how ANY staff member who deems that there is an imminent threat to the safety of our students or staff can call a lockdown for the building. As a reminder, the procedure for doing so is in the Staff Handbook, but I'll include it here, as well. You can practice the process from your own phone in the building either before or after school if you want to see how it works. Dial 3888, listen for the tone, then dial *2. You will hear the tone and immediately be "live" over the intercom. Keep this information near your phone where you know where it is, but not so obvious that your students see it and know what happens if they dial those numbers!

1/29 Battle of the Books - district final rounds - 9:30 - 11:00 in gym

Upcoming Testing Info

Those of you who will be closely involved with the upcoming CoGAT and WIDA ACCESS testing for ELL students have information about that already, but I think it's good for everyone to be aware of what's happening. Thanks to Colleen for championing both testing sessions!

Our ELL students who have not tested out as "fluent English proficient" yet will be taking the WIDA Access Test on January 26, 27, and 28th. If you have students testing, you will be provided with a detailed schedule. If you work with groups of students, be aware that some of them may be out during those times.

The CogAT assessment will be given to all K and 2 students. All students who have moved into grades 1 and 3 this year from outside of the district will also test, along with any 4th and 5th grade move-ins who may be possible candidates for high ability programming at the middle school level. These tests will be given on Feb. 2, 3, and 4th for 2nd grade, and Feb. 8, 9, and 10th for K. Colleen will be providing you with a detailed schedule if you have students involved.

Battle of the Books is Coming!

On the afternoon of January 25th, we will have our school rounds of the Battle of the Books competition. Sarah will send out a schedule and more information to those who will be involved in being "readers" or "answer checkers." If you have an assistant from 1:45 - 2:45 that afternoon, please make plans assuming that that assistant will NOT be with you. Many will be helping as "answer checkers" for this activity. (This would not affect any of our special ed assistants, other than possibly Mrs. Tinkle.)We will be on an alternate schedule this day to accommodate the schedule.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to These Staff Members with January Birthdays!

Andrea Barkley 1-Jan

Mimi Decker 1-Jan

Allison Morken 1-Jan

Brittany Love 2-Jan

Melinda Brunat 7-Jan

Linda Theissen 7-Jan

Jennifer Johnson 9-Jan

Jo Mongan 15-Jan

Bethany Bammann 22-Jan

Angel Hardin 22-Jan

Cathy Ellis 23-Jan

Sharon Warren 31-Jan

Celebrate!

Plainfield Community Schools were ranked 8th in the state on last year's ISTEP scores!

Our first round of "body safety" lessons went very smoothly!

The Dumpster Drummers concert has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 8th. at 10:15 a.m. All classes are welcome to attend, but you are not required to do so.

AROUND THE BUILDING and ABOUT TOWN!

These Little Quakers took time to look up at the igloo-effect of the snow on top of the Town Hall atrium before making their own "snow angels" on the floor!